UMKC men and women lifted by last-second shots

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams from UMKC prevailed over their counterparts at CSU Bakersfield on Thursday night thanks to clutch shots in their games’ waning seconds.

Sophomore guard Xavier Bishop and senior guard India Johnson were money for UMKC on Thursday night. Both Roos hit game-winning shots to propel their teams to Western Athletic Conference victories over the Roadrunners of CSU Bakersfield.

The women (6-13 overall, 2-2 WAC) were the road team in their 60-58 win. UMKC had a small lead through much of the game thanks to shooting over 57 percent during the first quarter, which included going 4-for-5 from 3-point range. The Roadrunners also shot over 55 percent in the first quarter, but both teams cooled down in the second and third quarters of play.

Despite holding a lead as large as 12 points with three minutes left to play in the first half, the Roos again witnessed an emerging and troubling trend. Bakersfield went on a 15-2 run to end the third quarter and open the fourth quarter. It’s the third consecutive game in which UMKC has seen a lead evaporate in the final quarter of play.

The Roos tightened down on defense to bring the deficit to just two points with about two minutes left in the game, and that’s when Johnson took over. She secured an offensive rebound and hit a jumper to tie the game with just over a minute left. The two teams then traded baskets to maintain the stalemate, and the Roos had possession with 22 seconds showing. That’s when Johnson made another spectacular play.

A few hours earlier at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, the men (6-14, 1-3 WAC) enjoyed similar early success en route to their 62-59 win. The Roos went 8-for-15 from behind the arc in the first half of play, helping them maintain a slim edge over Bakersfield through much of the contest.

Despite the fact that the Roadrunners shot a higher percentage in the game, UMKC won the turnover battle 15-5. The Roos also enjoyed a career night from freshman guard Brandon McKissic with 16 points to open up a lead of as many as nine early in the second half, but Bakersfield’s dominance in the paint helped them race back to tie the game at 59 with just over 21 seconds to play in the second half. UMKC called a timeout and then ran this play for Bishop.

“We wanted to run a high ball screen for me,” Bishop said. “My teammates trusted me and the coaching staff trusted me to make the play. It felt good when it left my hands.”

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Both the UMKC men and women will take the court again on Saturday, Jan. 20 against Grand Canyon University to continue conference play. Like on Thursday, the women will be the road team while the men play host. While the Roos would probably prefer to not need last-second heroics to pull out further wins, it’s great to know that they have players capable of making those plays if needed.